Behind the Scene
by LDEJRuff
Summary: Pretty much based on TheNewIdea's fanfic, "Quahog", Bryan Steele (who plays Brian Griffin) decides to take a temporary leave from the show for surgery. But will this leave result in his fans going ballistic, or will it lead to teaching a lesson? DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter 1

_Behind the Scene_

by LDEJRuff

Chapter 1 - Brian's Big Scene

* * *

It all started one day at the FOX studio in Los Angeles. The actors who played the characters on _Family Guy_ were all getting ready for shooting scenes from the upcoming episode "Life of Brian". The premise of the episode was that a member of the Griffin family, the family dog, Brian, would meet with an unfortunate accident.

Anyway, they just finished up shooting the first scenes for the episode, including the one where Brian got run over by a speeding car. However, the Brian that got run over was just an animatronic dummy made to look like him. The _real_ Brian, however, was going to spend some time away from the show. He had gotten a call from his doctor, saying that his knee surgery was about to come soon. That was the reason the studio and show crew decided to write him off...well, temporarily. You'll get the idea...

* * *

Inside his dressing room, canine actor Bryan Steele, an anthropomorphic white Labrador retriever, was getting ready for his big scene. He put some make up on his face and his fur to make it look like he got badly injured. He added some red paint on a turquoise blanket he bought to make it look like there was blood on it. He played the character Brian Griffin in the show.

"Well," Bryan sighed, "time to break a leg."

He walked to the set styled to look like the operating room of a vet. The director lowered the operating table for Bryan to make it easier for him to get on. After he got on, the operating table was raised, and Bryan closed his eyes very tightly to make it look like he was dying.

"And...action!" the director called.

Upon that cue, Peter Langsley, Louise Caine, sibling actors Morgan and Christopher Walls, and infant child actor Stuart Shively (who played the roles of Peter, Lois, Meg, Chris and Stewie Griffin respectively) were all being led into the room, with sad looks on their faces, by the doctor (played by James Patrick). After they walked over to the table, Louise said the first line in the scene.

"Oh, my god," she began, voice shaking. "Brian, no!"

"I can't believe it," Peter added. "You're really...?"

"Dammit, Brian, you _can't_ die," Stuart said. "We were going to do so many things together! We were going to become wind surfers! I was going to be a little better than you, but we were _both_ gonna be good!"

"_Don't worry, Stuart,_" Bryan thought. "_I'll take you windsurfing one day, probably after my surgery is over._"

With that, Bryan "struggled" to open his eyes and grunted.

"You guys," Louise responded with a gasp upon seeing Bryan begin his line. "I think Brian's trying to say something."

"You've..." Bryan began, opening his eyes, "You've given me a wonderful life. I love you all."

With that, he smiled, then lowered his head and closed his eyes again to make it look like he was dead. As the monitor beeped the flatline tone, James came in and checked all over for a "heartbeat".

"I'm sorry," James said, turning to the "Griffins". "He's gone."

"Oh, my god," Christopher said, about to shed tears as James walked away. "He's...?"

"Yes, Chris," Louis answered, following suit. "I'm afraid...I'm afraid that our Brian is dead!"

Peter and Louise held hands. Christopher comforted Morgan as she cried silently. Stuart's eyes trembled in sadness. The "family" then surrounded Bryan in a sad group hug.

"And...cut!" the director called. "That was amazing. A little sad, but amazing. Bryan, you're a natural."

"Thanks," Bryan responded, getting up. "I never thought I actually had it in me to pull off a death scene like that. However, with my character's passing away, it looks like the void needs to be filled."

"Yeah," Stuart replied. "It's a good thing you called your college buddy Vincent to fill in that void."

Bryan's friend from college, a canine from New York named Vincent Lowery, had agreed to play the part of the show's new recurring character, Vinny, to fill in Bryan's spot. Bryan had taught him everything he needed to know about acting, even before shooting for the episode began.

"I know," Bryan agreed.


	2. Chapter 2

_Behind the Scene_

by LDEJRuff

Chapter 2 - Thinking About the Christmas Episode

* * *

Later that day, Bryan was in his trailer, looking at himself in the mirror, make-up still on him, thinking about what's going to happen next for his character. Not only was he an actor, but he was also a writer for the show. And without his character on the show, what was he going to do next now that he killed off his own character? That was for him to determine within the time of his surgery.

"Hey, Bryan."

Bryan looked behind himself upon attention. It was Vincent who spoke in an Italian-American accent like he was from Brooklyn. His breed looked like a cross between a German Shepherd, a Pit Bull and an Italian Greyhound, and his fur was a greyish brown (more of like a champagne tan) with some cream white from his nose all the way to his belly, and he wore a black collar with a gold tag.

"Hey, Vincent," Bryan replied, smiling. "What are _you_ doing here? Shouldn't you be ready for your on-screen debut?"

"I just wanted to say thank you for teaching me all you knew about acting," Vincent replied. "Of course, it's pretty tough for the show crew now that your character's dead."

"Yeah," Bryan agreed. "It's too bad, though. I just wish there was something I can do to help keep the ratings up. But it's a good thing I also wrote the following episode to have _you_ in my stead."

Long pause.

"Wait a minute," Bryan continued. "I just came up with an episode idea. And since the next episode ends on Thanksgiving, it will not only be a Christmas episode, but also a miracle."

"A miracle?" Vincent repeated.

"Yeah," Bryan replied. "I'll bring back my character, Brian, through the use of Stewie's time machine return pad."

"But if you did _that_," Vincent said, "_my_ character, Vinny, will have never met the Griffins."

"Don't worry, Vincent," Bryan assured. "We'll figure something out in time. But right now, it's time you got to the pet shop scene."

"Very well," Vincent replied. "Just tell me after we finish shooting the scene."

With that, Vincent left for Vinny's big debut. Bryan smiled back as he took off his collar and washed the make-up from his face.

"Good luck, Vincent," Bryan whispered.

* * *

After shooting was done for the scene, Vincent left the set while Bryan got out of his trailer. He put his collar back on.

"So, how _was_ it?" Bryan asked.

"It was terrific," Vincent replied. "Had to do a few retakes, but terrific nonetheless. Though I have to say the actress who played the pet shop worker looked and acted a bit like Cruella DeVille. Now, how are you going to bring Brian back to _Family Guy_?"

"Well, first, let's add an extra scene to cut this episode's time," Bryan said. "It just came to me while I thought about the Christmas episode's B-plot-Stewie devising a plan to get the one and only thing he wants for Christmas."

Vincent smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

_Behind the Scene_

by LDEJRuff

Chapter 3 - A Twist After the Surgery

* * *

Near the studio, Bryan drove over to the hospital for his knee surgery. While he got into the hospital, Border Collie doctor, Newton B. Ryans, greeted him (he not only attended college with Bryan and Vincent, but he also played the character New Brian in a Season 7 episode).

"Oh, Bryan," Newton began. "You're right on time."

"Hey, Newton," Bryan greeted. "I hope this being off the set won't hurt the show crew too much."

"Not at all," Newton replied. "I'm just sorry you had to kill off your character like that, Bryan, like you did _my_ character, New Brian."

"You still mad about it, Newton?"

"Not really."

"Well, let's get this knee surgery underway."

"You got it, Bryan. And by the way, your parents are wishing you luck."

"My parents?"

His parents, who are _also_ dogs, were behind Newton. Bryan's mother, Perrywinkle, was a white Labrador Retriever, just like her son (even though she was on all fours), while his father, Conan, was a Newfoundland breed.

"We'll be waiting for you, Bryan," Perrywinkle said.

"Don't worry, Mom," Bryan assured. "I'll be fine."

* * *

Time had passed, and the surgery was a success. However, there was a catch. Before Bryan left the hospital on a wheelchair, Newton warned him...

"Now remember, Bryan, your legs will still feel hurt for a few weeks. So make sure you stay off them until they stop hurting."

"Okay, Newton," Bryan replied.

Newton gave Bryan a hug.

"You be careful out there, Bryan."

"I will, Newton. In the meantime, you want to visit the set? Vincent's there playing the show's new recurring character, Vinny."

"Vincent, as in Vincent Lowery? Very well. It's been some time since I've seen him. Last time was five years ago during the wrap party for "The Man With Two Brians"."

* * *

As promised, Bryan drove Newton over to the set. However, he also brought the wheelchair along. Newton aided Bryan, rolling the chair into the set.

"Hey, gang," Bryan greeted the crew. "I hope you all remember Newton from five years ago."

"Oh, hey, Bryan," the director greeted back. "We're just getting ready to shoot the next scene. It's after Peter took Vinny to the Clam to meet the gang." He then called, "Okay, quiet on the set. Living room scene, take one. And...action."

Shooting began for the scene. Peter was on the couch drinking cans of tea (which were disguised to look like cans of beer) with Vincent.

"Oh, boy, Vinny," Peter began, "hanging out with you has been the best. You want another beer?"

"No," Vincent answered, confusing Peter. Short pause. "I'd _love_ one!"

The two laughed.

"What...what the first thing you said was..." Peter trailed off into another laugh. "Oh, my God! You're on, you're, like, on another level, Vinny!"

Vincent handed Peter his can. The camera panned to Stewart, who was near the couch and playing with some prop blocks and had the teddy bear, Rupert, with him.

"Congratulations," Stewart began, getting Vincent's attention. "You've won over a complete imbecile."

"Complete imbecile?" Bryan whispered, confused. "Wait a minute, _that's_ not in the script."

"Shhh," the director whispered back.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Vincent halted before jumping off the couch. "Did you just speak ill of the man who busts his tail providing for you?"

Stewart responded, "He spent my college fund on puppet clothes."

"Hey," Vincent warned. "Don't get fresh with _me_, Estudio."

"That's not my name," Stewart replied. "That's not even an Italian _version_ of my name."

"Oh, whatever," Vincent said. "Don't you and your boyfriend have to be in Vermont by now?"

"He's not my boyfriend..." Stewart replied, then shouted, "hey, shut up!"

Bryan was shocked at what he just saw and heard.

"No," he whispered, shaking his head. "No, no, no."

"Hey, Vinny," Peter called from off the set. "You want to see a puppet show? They all got leather jackets."

Vincent walked out of the scene while the camera cut to Stewart.

"God, what a jerk," Stewart reprimanded. "If this guy thinks he's sticking around, he's sorely mistaken. I'm going to ruin him, just like I ruined that magician's act."

"And cut!" the director called. "Good job, guys. Okay, let's break for lunch and do some editing."

Most of the crew on the set, save for Bryan and Newton, left for lunch. The two dogs stayed.

"What the hell is going on here?" Bryan asked Newton. "I thought that this scene started smoothly, but I didn't write Stewart's line for this scene."

Newton took a look at the script.

"Uh, Bryan," he began, "I think you need to look at this."

He handed Bryan the script, and what Bryan read shocked him.

"Uh-oh," he said. "It looks like someone has re-written it."

"What do you mean?" Newton asked.

"Someone must have taken out a few lines and replaced them with bad ones," Bryan answered. "Stewie skunking Vinny? Giving him a coma-resulting heart attack upon hearing sad news about Italian-Americans? The Griffins taking Vinny to the hospital and waiting for news of his fate, except for Stewie? This isn't right. I think I need to have a talk with the person who wrote over my lines."

"Oh, boy," Newton said, worried. "I think I smell trouble."


	4. Chapter 4

_Behind the Scene_

by LDEJRuff

Chapter 4 - Advice from an Off-Worlder

* * *

Unknown to any of the cast and crew, three familiar figures appeared in a flash next to the studio. They were Brian, Stewie and Vinny Griffin, but from another universe.

"Where are we?" Brian asked.

"Yeah," Vinny added.

"According to the Multiverse guide," Stewie answered, holding his Multiverse remote, "we are in a universe where we are played by human and animal actors. And apparently, we have arrived in the time the studio is shooting the sixth episode of the show's twelfth season, _Life of Brian_."

"_Life of Brian_?" Vinny repeated. "My debut episode?"

"Yes, Vinny," Brian answered, "and the episode I die in."

"Oh, there you are, Bryan," Gordon Quincy, the actor who played Glenn Quagmire in the show, said, passing by. "I thought you were in the cafeteria having lunch. And, aren't you supposed to be in a wheelchair after your surgery?"

"Glenn?" Brian gasped. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"What do you mean, and why are you addressing me by the character I play? It's me, Gordon."

"Uh," Stewie began, "we need to be going."

With that, the trio ran off.

"Hey, wait!" Gordon called. "You still haven't answered my questions yet!"

* * *

The trio had found shelter inside the costume building.

"That was a close one, fellas," Vinny said, panting.

"Yeah," Brian agreed. "Anyway, Stewie, why'd the remote send us here?"

"I have no idea, Brian," Stewie answered. "But I think this is a time of dire need. In this universe, your counterpart, Bryan Steele, not only plays _you;_ he also writes for the show. But because he killed you off, he's thinking of a way to bring you back."

Pause.

"The Christmas episode," Brian realized. "But why in this time?"

"Maybe either of you should talk to Bryan," Vinny suggested.

"_I_ will, since he plays me and, like me, is a writer," Brian offered.

"What?" Stewie asked. "But if he saw _you_, what will he..."

"Don't worry, Stewie," Brian assured. "I think I have an idea. But first, we need to watch a playback of this episode's scenes to make sure."

* * *

With fifteen minutes of lunchtime left, the trio went into the studio's filming department to watch the scenes, leading up to the one that was recently shot-the scene where Stewie and Vinny got into an argument.

"Ruin me like you ruined a magician's act, Stewie?" Vinny asked. "This ain't good."

"Yeah," Brian agreed. "And look at this script. These last few scenes aren't good at all. If this studio wants your debut to be good, then we must convince Bryan to come up with some better words for the last few scenes. And I can tell by the written-over handwriting that it isn't Bryan who wrote this."

"I guess I can tell the two of you apart," Stewie said, "because Bryan just came out of surgery on this day, and he's wheelchair bound for the next few weeks."

"Like I said before," Brian began, "I must talk to Bryan. I'll see you two later."

"Be careful, Brian," Vinny whispered as Brian ran off.

* * *

Bryan was finishing his lunch, a kibble sandwich, when Brian came into the cafeteria. Brian had to hide under the same table Bryan sat at so he wouldn't get caught. Finally, Brian was near Bryan.

"Hey, Bryan," Brian whispered, getting Bryan's attention.

Bryan looked under the table and gasped in surprise.

"I don't believe it," Bryan said. "You're Brian Griffin."

"Yeah," Brian whispered in reply. "I'm here to help you with some advice on how you're going to save Vinny."

"I know, Brian," Bryan responded. "Someone wrote over my words and revised it to make it look like Vinny will be comatose at the end of the episode. What are we going to do to maintain the show's ratings?"

"Well," Brian began, turning his head to Stewart eating some green beans, "I think Stewart must have wrote over the script. My suggestion would be to show Stewart the script for _Christmas Guy_, instead of reprimanding him, and maybe he can change the script so Vinny will be all right by the end of the episode."

"You willing to save your replacement for _this_?_"_ Bryan asked.

"Trust me, Bryan," Brian assured.

"Well, okay," Bryan shrugged. "I think you should go, Brian. The crew will go bonkers if they saw two Bryan Steeles in the lot."

"Thanks, Bryan," Brian congratulated. "May peace be with you."

"Wait, you never say that," Bryan replied, confused.

"I'm from another universe, Bryan," Brian assured. "In the universe I'm from, I became a Christian after an unthinkable event that happened. But take my advice. Farewell."

With that, Brian sneaked back out of the cafeteria, again without getting caught. Bryan kept Brian's advice in mind.

* * *

Brian met up with Stewie and Vinny outside the studio.

"How'd it go?" Stewie and Vinny asked.

"It went fine," Brian answered.

"Okay then," Stewie said, getting the remote out of his pocket. "Let's all go home."

With that, Stewie pressed the button, and the trio disappeared in a flash.

Vincent, who had finished his lunch, stood wide-eyed, jaw dropped.

"Huh," he said. "I guess I must be seeing things."


	5. Discontinuity

Author's note:After watching the behind-the-scenes episode "Inside Family Guy", I'm afraid it's with a heavy heart that I discontinue this fanfic, like I did with "Dog Soldiers of the Suburbs". In a nutshell, here's how the ending of _this_fanfic  
was supposed to go.

* * *

Bryan convinces Stewart to change the ending of "Life of Brian" so that Vinny doesn't have to go through a coma, setting the stages for "In Harmony's Way" and "Christmas Guy" (this last to be the one where Stewie saves Brian's life). But Stewart says  
it's already too late. This gives Bryan an idea: import a new cutaway gag that Stewie sets up. Stewie says that he time traveled ahead to Christmas so that he doesn't have to wait all year for the new toys to come out, and that sets the stage for a scene  
in "Christmas Guy" where Stewie encounters his past self in the mall. With a sudden change of mind, Stewart reluctantly agrees. And with the script for "Life of Brian" changed, and a few edits, the episode had a new cutaway, and a new ending where Stewie  
befriends Vinny. And in a few weeks' time, Bryan's legs heal in time for Brian's return in "Christmas Guy".

* * *

Sorry for not finishing this, but I plan to reboot this fanfic someday to import Brian's absence in favor of the Old Yeller remake.

By the way, happy birthday, Alicia, a.k.a. "Villains' Bad Girl".


End file.
